Friends of the Earth Cardiff Cyfeillion y Ddaear Caerdydd

Tremofa Steelworks. Photo: Chris Brown, Cardiff Friends of the Earth

Environmental lawyers ClientEarth took the Government to court for not tackling high levels of air pollution in the UK.

Mr Justice Mitting heard ClientEarth’s challenge against the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman, on 13 December. ClientEarth argued that the Government should have complied with EU limits for air quality by 1 January 2010.

The organisation says 17 regions and cities, including Cardiff, London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, will not meet the limits until after 2015. The current estimate is that air quality won't meet the EU limits on levels of nitrogen dioxide until 2020.

Lawyers for the Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, admitted breaching European Union pollution legislation, during a High Court battle with environmental campaign group.

Unfortunately Mr Justice Mitting said any enforcement action was a matter for the European Commission. He refused to declare that the Secretary of State is in breach of her legal obligations limits, or to order Mrs Spelman to draw up plans to cut pollution levels to legal levels by 2015.

Mr Justice Mitting said that the action was a "draw" and that the costs of bringing the case should be shared.

We think that the Government’s strategies for tackling air pollution are pathetic. We expect that the EU Commission will now start proceedings against the UK Government because of the breeches.

Find out the air pollution health risks.